Search

Search this site:

Email Signup

In K-12 Education

Share This Page

Real solutions provided by the North Carolina General Assembly are already working in our classrooms. By adding state funding for teaching positions, and increasing the amount of time children spend in the classroom these real solutions are protecting the classroom, reforming education and protecting taxpayers.

Every year, the state budget provides approximately two-thirds of the funding used to operate North Carolina’s public schools.1 In 2011, the North Carolina General Assembly increased the K-12 education budget for the current school year to $7.46 billion2 while balancing North Carolina’s state budget. The sky did not fall; these were real solutions for North Carolina.

Going into the legislative session a number of challenges confronted legislators, but these challenges did not stop them from crafting a budget that acknowledged fiscal realities and advanced long overdue public school reforms.

The anticipated end of federal stabilization or “stimulus” funding produced a significant drop in federally funded education personnel.3 The state budget approved in 2011 was able to compensate for most of the decline in federally funded positions by adding over 2,000 state-funded public schools jobs, an increase of 3.7 percent from the previous year.4 For those with the newly funded jobs, these were real solutions.

Moreover, state officials estimate that over 13,000 additional students will enroll in North Carolina’s public schools over the next two years.5 The General Assembly allocated nearly $56 million this year, as well as over $137 million next year, to compensate for anticipated enrollment growth.6

Lawmakers also initiated a research-based effort to reduce class sizes in grades K-3.7 In the first year of this multi-year effort, the General Assembly appropriated nearly $62 million to fund 1,124 additional elementary school teaching positions.8 Legislators plan to increase funding to $63 million next year toward the ambitious goal of reducing class sizes to an average of one teacher for every 15 students.9 When the state reaches this goal, the average class sizes in North Carolina elementary schools will be lower than any other state in the nation.10

The General Assembly converted 5 teacher work days to teaching days. These reforms will enhance student achievement by increasing yearly instructional time to 185 days and 1,025 hours.11 North Carolina and Kansas are the only states that require more than 180 days in the school year and are two of seventeen states to require at least 1,025 hours of classroom instruction.12

Despite a massive budget shortfall and despite cries from critics that North Carolina would drop to 49th in the nation in per capita education spending North Carolina’s public schools are still up and running. In fact, North Carolina’s rank improved in education spending from 45th in the nation to 42nd, according to the National Education Association – the nation’s largest teacher’s union.

Of course, the state budget was only the start. The General Assembly also passed legislation that greatly expanded school choice options for families.

The General Assembly eliminated the arbitrary 100-school cap on public charter schools and permitted charter schools to increase enrollment by up to 20 percent a year.13 These welcomed changes to the state’s public charter school law will give more North Carolina families access to new charter schools and a greater chance of obtaining admission to existing charters, many of which have sizable waitlists for seats.14

With passage of a special needs tax credit, North Carolina became only the 14th state in the nation to approve school choice legislation.15 The law allows families to claim an individual income tax credit for education and services provided to children with disabilities – up to $6,000 per year. This law will save local school systems millions of dollars – almost $14 million in just the first five years. At long last, parents of special needs children can enroll their children in the educational facility that best meets their needs.16

Tar Heel families have been provided real educational solutions through the power of school choice.

The General Assembly’s reforms obtained through the 2011-2013 N.C. State Budget is providing North Carolinians with real solutions; and these reforms are working in our classrooms. These reforms are restoring local control, strengthening accountability standards, increasing the amount of time children are in the classroom, offering more school choices and adding state funded teaching positions.

Lower Taxes…More Teachers…Real Solutions for our children and our classrooms.